Tour the best and brightest

Ride leader Robin Marks is a veteran of evening excursions. She recalls that the night of the first ride was cold and foggy, so she was surprised when 30 adventurers turned up.

"A lot of people are kind of afraid to ride at night," Marks says, "so this was a nice way to encourage people to start thinking about nighttime as a time to ride."

For the Christmas lights outing, Marks spends hours scoping out the perfect route, which varies from year to year and is a closely guarded secret. By ride night, the hard work is already done. Just power up your bike lights, dress in layers if the night is cool and bring some refreshments to share. Should the spirit move you to dress up as Santa Claus or string colored lights on your bike, this is the perfect occasion.

"You never know what someone is going to show up wearing," Marks says. One year, one bicycle had a Christmas tree attached, while another cyclist was towing a cart with a Christmas tree on it. "Everyone just kind of gets in the spirit."

Expect plenty of opportunities to ooh and ahh over gorgeous holiday displays, much good cheer, creatively decorated bikes (and cyclists) and yummy things to eat, the snack stop being a famous feature of the night rides.

See and be seen

Cyclists new to night riding should make sure to have a white headlight (one that blinks attracts even more attention), a rear red reflector, and reflectors on both pedals. These will put you in compliance with the law, but the savvy night rider will also opt for at least one and sometimes more than one blinking red light (known as a "blinkie") affixed to the rear of his or her bike, helmet, bag or backpack.

Wearing a white or brightly colored jacket or clothing with reflective elements will also help you be seen. You can get creative and look for additional surfaces on your bicycle for attaching reflective tape or stickers. A primary goal in night riding should be to attract attention, certainly that of friendly fellow cyclists, but primarily that of motorists. Being visible is a key factor in safe night riding.

Riding a bike at night is a fun way to explore the city, but as with riding at any time of day, it's important to be alert and to keep an eye out for motorists. Don't assume they see you. Ride outside of the door zone to avoid contact with a suddenly opened car door, and be a predictable and courteous rider. Always abide by traffic laws and respect the right of way.

Important information may come via your ears, so leave the personal sound system at home. A public sound system, however, is another story. Marks recalls at least two Christmas lights rides in the past where enterprising cyclists delighted the group by bringing along music to share.

Enjoy the ride

If your bike has been gathering dust for a while, or if your natural pace is more stately than speedy, not to worry - someone "riding sweep" brings up the rear of every ride, making sure that no one gets lost or left behind, including if mechanical difficulties should occur.

Bike About Town is presented by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a 11,000-member nonprofit dedicated to creating safer streets and more livable communities by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. For more biking resources, go to www.sfbike.org.

6:30 p.m. Sun. Free-$5. Meet at the Panhandle Statue at Fell and Baker streets, S.F. The ride will be approximately 12-15 miles, will be moderately hilly and should last about three hours. Rain cancels the ride. sfbike.org/?chain.